By Tom Webb, CEO
In our ‘get to know’ blog series, I’m posing a few questions to the Element team. Next up, we have Simon Moss, Director.
What’s your background?
I’d say I’m from the school of hard knocks. That may be hard to believe for a lad from the Surrey/Hampshire border, but let me clarify what I mean. After graduating in sports journalism from the University of Brighton, I spent an amazing year covering football from the Sussex League to the Champions League, as well as working on the sports desk of the News of the World each and every Saturday. I then went full time at a newspaper in north Hampshire, earning the anecdotal title of ‘most influential under 25 in Basingstoke’ by the town’s then MP. These kind of accolades are hard earned, I’ll have you know. While politics was my ‘beat’, I was also taught to ice skate, fight like a Roman soldier and have my attempts to grow a moustache documented for all to see in print. Thankfully this was in the days before newspapers had a ‘digital first’ policy, so that hasn’t left an online trail. Though I only spent five years in journalism, it taught the need to adhere to deadlines, to focus on attention to detail and to throw yourself in to opportunities. Having seen PR done extremely well (and extremely badly) I made the move to the dark side – and haven’t look back since!
How would you describe your job?
One of the things I value most about the Element team is how everybody mucks in – and I would like to think I do my share. I will always be a writer at heart, so enjoy creating a huge variety of content. One of the main opportunities Element has afforded me is the opportunity to write for a huge variety of stakeholders, from investors to public sector bodies and everything in between. I am also fortunate to help advise clients on their value proposition and how this feeds into Go To Market strategies, cutting to the very core of the business and its growth trajectory. I never take this access for granted – and love to lift the hood on what makes a tech scale-up tick. Beyond that, I can be found consulting on media strategies, sales enablement and another favourite of mine: Winning new business.
Tell us about a memorable career moment.
I’ll tell you two, if I may. I was doing a two-week work experience at a sports news agency fresh out of university and had the chance to go and attend a European game at White Hart Lane. That night, Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe scored two goals on the same week he was left out of the England squad. Despite the grizzled, experienced sports hacks around me in the mix zone, clamouring for comment from Defoe after the game, I barged my way to the front and got there first with my questions. I believe that you have to seize opportunities and was able to earn a modicum of respect there.
The second was in the early days of Element, during the first Covid lockdown. You will recall that we were scaling the agency at a rapid pace during the pandemic, but the thrill of that first client win, against much larger agencies, was one I’ll never forget. Covid was the great leveller for startups like ours. During the lockdowns, clients didn’t appoint agencies based on how shiny their coffee machine was, because they couldn’t visit offices and judge an agency on these more meaningless metrics. Instead, we were winning business on the strength of their ideas. We had those in abundance and were able to grow a successful business off the back of it.
What does ‘Authentic Communications’ mean to you?
Authentic Communications is more than just a strapline to me. It means delivering work that reflects the vision, mission and values of the company. Due to the nature of our client base, many are owner managed, meaning we work alongside some inspiring entrepreneurs. I feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that their value proposition is reflected in each and every output we deliver for them, consistently, and with purpose.
What would you say to people pursuing a career in PR?
Firstly, I’d say don’t just consider ‘PR’. Disciplines are becoming blurred and clients expect more bang for their buck. Communications is a more accurate term. It’s a hugely rewarding career that opens so many doors to the proactive, the curious and the hard-working.
What are you known for in your team?
I’d rather let my colleagues answer that, but I’d suggest ‘brutal honesty’ might be quite high up the list. For better or worse, I think I say things like I see them, unfiltered and with no ambiguity. Beyond that, I’m probably known for my addiction to Duolingo and excitement at the opportunity to speak to any client, prospect or colleague in my broken version of Spanish. At least until I find out they’re actually from Portugal.
Connect with Simon on LinkedIn here
